This invention relates in general to lenticular image products and more particularly to a lenticular image product having a zoom effect and method and apparatus for making such a lenticular image product.
Lenticular image products include an array of cylindrical-shaped lenses (lenticules) in a lenticular material and a sequence of spatially interleaved images that are viewed through the lenticular material so that different ones of the interleaved images are viewed at different angles by the viewer. One image effect produced by the lenticular image is a depth or stereoscopic effect where the lenticules are oriented vertically so that one eye views one image of a stereo pair and the other eye views another image from the stereo pair. As the lenticular image product is rotated about the vertical axis, the viewer sees other stereo images of the same object or scene from different viewing angles giving the effect of xe2x80x9clooking aroundxe2x80x9d the object or scanning the scene.
Another image effect produced by the lenticular image is that of motion where different images in a motion image sequence are viewed by both eyes, while changing the angle at which the lenticular image is viewed. Thus, in motion imaging, the lenticules of the lenticular image product are oriented in a horizontal direction and the lenticular product is tilted about the horizontal axis.
Typically, lenticular images are formed from several different original views, either of the same object from different viewpoints or of the same object(s) as it progresses through a motion sequence. In the former case, the different views can be captured with a series of cameras positioned at different locations pointed at the same object, or the different views can be taken with the same camera which is positioned at the different locations, sometimes with the aid of a positioning structure. In the latter case, the same camera is usually used to capture the sequence of motion views. In all of these situations, the cost and complexity of equipment makes the formation of the lenticular image product beyond the means of many customers.
Many situations arise where it is desirable to produce a lenticular image having a zoom effect. Typically, this effect is produced by means of a series of images taken with a still or video camera having a zoom lens. At least the wide angle view and the closeup view are used along with one or more intermediate angle views to produce the zoom effect. Using this technique involves capturing and reproducing multiple original views and the inability to later modify the zoom subject or sequence.
There is thus a need to provide a lenticular image product having a zoom effect combining simple, cost effective image acquisition with great flexibility in composition and display.
According to the present invention there is provided a solution to the problems and fulfillment of the needs enumerated above.
According to a feature of the present invention there is provided a lenticular image product comprising: a lenticular material having an array of lenticules with cylindrical lenses; and a lenticular image associated with the lenticular material, the lenticular image having an original image having a wide angle view and at least one final image having a narrow angle view created from the original image, such that tilting of the lenticular image product produces a zoom effect between the original and final images.
According to another feature of the present invention there is provided a method of producing a lenticular image product having a zoom effect comprising: providing an original image having a wide angle view; creating at least one final image having a narrow angle view from said original image; and forming a lenticular image product from said original and final views.
According to a further feature of the present invention, there is provided a lenticular image product comprising: a lenticular material having an array of lenticules with cylindrical lenses; and a lenticular image associated with said lenticular material, said lenticular images having one or more additional images which have been created from a single original image.
The invention provides a lenticular image product having a zoom effect using digital processing methods. It combines simple, cost effective image acquisition with great flexibility in composition and display associated with the ability to manipulate images electronically.